Roofing product



July 21, 1925. 1,546,782

La M. FORD ROOFING PRODUCT Filed Sept. 16 15 321 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1120912 For 7 Louis Means Ford July 21, 1925. r 1,546,782

L. M. FORD ROOFING PRODUCT Filed Sept. 16 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 E- I jag J f.

Joan's/ ears 25rd 7%43 x (422?? July 21, 1925. 1,546,782

' L. M. FORD ROOFING PRODUCT I Fil p 15 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 P mela July 21,1925.

o s'mres I were LOUIS IMEEABS FORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; CONTINENTAL AND COMMERUIAL T3381? AND SAVINGS BANK, ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID LGUIS HEARS FORD, DECEASED ASSIGNOR '10 FORD ROOFING PRODUCT$ COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLIN01'3,.A COR- I JPQRATION OF ELINOI$.

ROOFING: PRODUCT.

Application filed September 16, 1921. Serial No. 501,085.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs'MEARs Form, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of ill Illinois, have invented a certain new, useful, and Improved Roofing Product, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to improvements in roofing products, or materials, but hasiespecial reference to improvements in so-called composition roofing.

The general object of my invention is to provide a roofing material or product wherewith a truly individualshingle effect can be secured. 3

It is also an object of my invention to provide a roofing material or product that can be so applied as to eliminate entirely all flapping of the material and hence to overcome the resulting noise, nuisance, and roof leakage. y

Again it is an object of my invention to provide a roofingmaterial or roduct in which the indivi ual shingle e ect can be secured with much less material than is required when using roofing products or shingles heretofore devised for that purpose.

I also aim to produce roofing material having the characteristics of great coverage, individual shingle effect, and permanence and leak-proofness, and which at the same time can be applied quickly and easily by any onewith even little skill.

My invention consists of a piece of roofing material ofthe form, composition, design and corelation of design and form or shape whereby the above named objects, together with others that will a pear hereinafter, are attainable; and m invention will be more readily understoo by reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate what 1 consider, at the present time, to be the preferred embodiment thereof.

In said drawings: v

Fig. 1 is a face view of a piece of roofing material embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view thereof, substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1c i Fig 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view, substantially on' the line- 33 of Fig. l. ,7 p

Fig. 4 is a face view of a piece of roofing material of still another form embodying my invention. r

5 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view substantially on the line 5---5 Therein 1, is a sheet or piece of composition roofing of the form such as I prefernto use. I find that a sheet 32 inches wide and say five feet in length, one which may be conveniently utilized.

As here shown, it is composed of a layer of felt, paper 2 which has been saturated with asphalt or similar suitable material 7 8B and to the upper and lower faces thereof there is applied a heavy coating of asphalt which is indicated by the reference characters 3 and 4, res actively. The bottom of the sheet is provi ed with a thin coating 5 of some anti-friction material such for mstance as mica. On the outer face of the asphalt coatin 3, there is applied a surfacing materia 6 of crushed rock, slate, or similar material, in such manner as to rojvide a design on the face of the sheet, w ich are here shown as a plurality of rectangular areas 7 Ssee Figs. 2 and 3). A number of reotangu ar' transversely extending grooves or recesses 8 and a number of ofi'set grooves or recesses 9 and 10, disposed longitudinally of the sheet, are provided. The surfacing material is brought in such contiguity to the upper andlower edgesll and12, respecdrive through any tively, as, to form transverse marginal portions 13 and 14, respectively, and to the side edge 15 as to form the marginal depression 16, the purpose of which will appear.

The asphalt 3 being black and by providing a colored surfacing 6, such for example, as red, a very forceful and bold contrast is caused that accentuates the size of the grooves or depressions and brings out the individual appearance of the shingles.

The transverse grooves 8 are provided for another purpose as are the marginal depressions 13 and 14, all of which, it will be understood, are barren of the crushed rock or slate surfacing material.

' The sheet 1 is to be folded transversely along lines coincident with the margins of the grooves 8 and the marginal depressions 13 and 14 at which points it can be folded without danger of cracking. The marginal portion 13 is folded back upon the. upper side of the sheet, and the marginal portion 14 under the sheet. The sheet inter mediate the marginal portions 13 and 14 is folded so that each barren strip 8 faces downwardly against the upper slate surfaced art of the sheet, thus forming a number o thickened zones comprising three layers of the material, as is well shown in Fig. 6. The sheet in the form shown in Fig. 6 (in so far as the folds are concerned) is the form in which I contemplate shipping the article for use and in this form a number of the sheets can be conveniently packed in a suitable bundle or package.

' Referring now to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, for an understanding of the method of applying, 17 represents the roof boards or sheeting to which the roofing material is to be applied,'and 18 is the lower edge of the roof. A sheet of the material folded as-shown in Fig. 6 is placed upon the'roof with the marginal portion 14 downwardly and at the lower edge of the roof, and in this position,

fastenin devices 19 are driven through the 1 several t iicknessesof roofing material, thus firmly afiixing the same to the roof. Before driving a fastenin device through the marginal portion 14 of a similar sheet of material, such sheet is inserted into the hook-like upper end, formed by the portion 13. and then a fastening device is driven completely through the several layers. It is obvious that it is impossible for rain to of these joints, becausein every instance it is checked by a portion of the material that is folded backwardly.

Fig. 9 shows the manner of lapping the roofing material along the side edges wherein it will be observed that the depressed or marginal portion 16, receives the butt and of the edge portion of the adjacent sheet, thus in a sense, oountei'sinking the same and bringing it more nearly flush with the top surface of the adjacent sheet. In other -which being composed of several thicknesses of material are visible, no matter what the angle at which the roof is viewed.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a modification of my invention. The general structural features are the same as those illustrated and described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, and like parts bear like reference characters in order to simplify the description and understanding of this construction. Thus, it appears that the structure shown in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive,

7 throughout is identical with that shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and is folded in like manner. The one different feature is that the marginal depressed portion 16 is folded. back upon the upper surface of the sheet and there is provided a marginal portion 16' upon the opposite ed e which is folded backwardly under the 5106i along the dotted line 16". The sheet may be applied to the roof as already described except that each sheet interlocks with the adjacent sheets, all around inasmuch as all four edges are provided with parts that are folded back to form hook-like portions which are adapted to interlock with the hook-like portions of all contiguous sheets. The portion16 is further severed at a number of points to form the independent tabs 16 and 16 to facilitate the interlocking of this folded portion of the sheet with the folded portion 16' of the next'adjacent sheet. It will be understood that at .the time these edge portions are interlocked both the sheets are in the folded overlapped condition illustrated in Fig. 6. A convenient way of applying this sheet, assuming that one sheet has already been applied to the roof is to turn the entire sheet face down upon the previously laid sheet and then to fold the marginal portion 16' to its initial plane. The whole sheet is then shifted, meantime inserting the tabs 16 under the folded portion 16 of the previously laid sheet and passing the tab portions 16 over the said folded sheet portion 16, at which time fastening devices 24 may be applied. After these fastening devices are applied the whole sheet is swung over until its under side is downward against the roof boards or sheeting, in which condition it will. be

' found that the two sheets are completely interlocked and the fastening devices protected from the weather.

Some people prefer to lay the roofing lengthwise of the roof instead of from the bottom to the top. For such use the folds will be made longitudinally of the sheet instead of transversely, and where the color bands or the like are to be used they will be applied or formed transversely of thelsliect instead of longitudinall a sheet is applied lengt wise of the roof, it obviously will present the same appearance that the form depicted in the drawings presents'when'it is applied from the bottom to the top. In other words, there is a mere reversal of the application which is accommodated by a mere reversal of the formation of the folds or plaits and the color bands or surface barren grooves. In the claims, therefore, the terms longitudinal and transverse may be interchanged and the claims should be so broadly construed.

From the foregoing it is apparent that my invention is susceptible of embodiment in a number of different forms, in all of which the desired characteristics of an individnal shingle 'effect and leak-proof and fiap proof roof are secured with the use of a minimumamount of material. It should Thus, when such quickly and easily applied.

I claim 1. As an article of manufacture, a roofing material comprising a substantially flexible sheet provided with a pluralit of spaced, transversely extending surface areas, said areas having'adjacent top and bottom edges which define fold lines along which the sheet may be folded to bring a part of one surfaced area into overlappin relation with respect to a part of an ad acent surfaced area. a

2. As an article of manufacture, a roofing material comprising a substantially flexible sheet provided with a plurality of rectangular surfaced areas arranged in rows extending in One direction of the sheet, with the areas in one row staggered relatively to the areas in th adjacent rows, each row of areas having top and bottom aligned edges which define fold lines along 'which the sheet may be folded to bring a part of one row of surfaced areas into overlap ing relation with respect to a part of an a jacent row of surfaced areas. I

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 6th day of September, 1921.

- LOUIS MEARS FORD. 

